Karetos Erickson
Grand Alliance * * * Scarlet Crusade(Formerly) Argent Dawn (Formerly) Argent Crusade (Formerly) |Row 8 title = Faith |Row 8 info = Church of the Holy Light |Row 9 title = Family |Row 9 info = Brandon Erickson (Father) † Eleanor Redpath (Mother) † Harald Erickson (Twin Brother) Marcus Redpath (Uncle) † Lily Garner (Spouse) † Joseph Garner (Father-in-law) † Adaleen Garner (Mother-in-law) † Roman Garner (Brother-in-law) † Nicolette Garner (Sister-in-law) † |Row 10 title = Alignment |Row 10 info = Lawful Good |caption = A young Karetos, only a few years after his wife's passing. (Art by @cosmickonett)}} '''Karetos Erickson' (Born Karetos Erickson, 15th of August, -7 L.C.) is a Gilnean paladin and knight of the Silver Hand. He currently resides at the Golden Keg Inn in Stormwind City, selling his services as a bodyguard to whomever may be interested in hiring him. Preferring to keep his past as a veteran of the Second War and Third War quiet, few know he took part in these events except those who were there. However, a good number of survivors from the Third War, especially people that lived in Hillsbrad Foothills during these dark times, have heard of a hero with a torn visage dubbed The Bulwark of Chillwind Pass. When he is recognized and referred to by this title, he cannot help but feel proud and melancholic. =Description= ---- Physical Description Despite the ravages of time, Karetos' body remains in good shape, his physique being the result of many wars and struggles. While being fit he truly was not the bulky type and could be qualified as very average. Although he has fought in many battles, his body remains relatively unscarred except for the left side of his face where a massive scar lies, the flesh torn decades ago and the sight in his eye gone. Lastly, as a result of his upbringing and his training as a paladin, he prefers to keep his hair short and his beard well trimmed at all times. Golden Eye His milky left eye lights up sometimes bursting with golden energy. This happens periodically when something piques his interest, an emotional rush occurs or during combat. Depending on the intensity of the moment, the phenomenon may range from a simple color change to actual holy fire pouring from the paladin's orbit bathing the left side of his face in a torrent of energy. Equipment Void Tempered Plate The paladin wears silver heavy plated armor lined with black saronite. Protective holy runes are also engraved on the armor to further enhance it's protective capabilities. Furthermore, the armor exudes weak void like energy from it's shoulderplates, shadow priests might even find this energy familiar to their own. Although weak, it seems to remain potent, the extent of it's effects unknown. This enchantment was placed by Karetos' late wife, Lily Garner, during their time in Dragonblight. As the campaign against the Lich King progressed, the priestess had fallen down a darker path and became more vengeful, therefore focusing on the powers of the Void. She tempered her partner's equipment with void energy as she secretly feared she could one day let the whispers get to her. Ascension Being a paladin, Karetos was trained with all manners of weaponry and is proficient with many fighting styles. However, he always had a preference for hammers and maces, the original weapon of the paladins of Lordaeron. He currently uses a mace that he aquired by slaying a powerful death knight during the Northrend campaign. The weapon therefore exudes frost energy and is a very potent martial tool. The weapon's previous owner called it Demise, as the goal of the undead knight was to slay and destroy the living. With it's new purpose came a new meaning for the cold mace, and so Karetos named it as the opposite of what it once was, Ascension. For this weapon would now fight for the restoration of the kingdoms of Lordaeron, for the future of human kind and all of the Alliance. Libram of Compassion The paladin carries with him at all times a holy blue libram. The cover is tarnished and old but a silver clenched fist can still be seen on it as well as common runes which mean: Compassion. If one were to take a closer look they could also notice that on the bottom of the pages lies dryed blood. This is indeed the libram of compassion previously owned by Gavinrad the Dire. After the scourge outburst, Karetos went back to Andorhal with a group of Argent Dawn paladins. There they recovered the bodies of many of their old comrades including Erickson's old mentor. All of the bodies recovered that day received a proper burial in Light's Hope Chapel and it is there that Karetos recovered the libram. It is said that Archbishop Alonsus Faol gave these libram to the first paladins, challenging them to become the embodiment of the silver hand virtues they represented. Perhaps, it is why the Dire took such a liking to the young Karetos in Stormwind all those years ago, perhaps he sensed the young man's grief and sadness. Now the new owner of the libram, the paladin strives to become the embodiment of compassion, as his old mentor did. Crystalized Lilac Karetos carries with him at all times a single branch of crystalized lilac from Crystalsong Forest. This was infact Lily's favorite area during their time in Northrend. Often they would venture down from Dalaran and enjoy themselves in the crystal thickets of the ancient forest. Lilac being his wife's favorite flower and the forest being the happiest memories he had of her, he ventured there shortly after her death and gathered bushes of the crystalized flower. They are now Karetos' most prized possession and he keeps them safe in a vault in Stormwind, as a memento of their love. =Personality & Beliefs= ---- Personality Karetos was a kind soul, always seeking to help others since a very young age. In his early adulthood, he was the kind of soldier who would throw themselves into the fray without a second thought if they could save but one more life. Nowadays, he is less naive and more pragmatic, the loss of his own twin brother, the love of his life and many comrades has left him with a colder heart. His trust is easy to get but once lost, is gone forever. He may be understanding and compassionate but he who incurs his wrath shall have no mercy. At first glance, he may seem melancholic and serious but proves himself a stalwart ally aswell as a strong shoulder to lean on. Finaly, he may be a bit of a strong silent type sometimes but once someone knows him for a while he ends up proving himself a total softy. Beliefs Hatred of the Ebon Blade Although he is mostly calm and gentle, Karetos becomes tense and outright hostile when a member of the Ebon Blade is near, or anyone that has been affiliated with death knights in general. Disgust can clearly be seen on his features and the energy in his left eye often flares up at the sight of such a person. Indeed, past trauma has marked him deeply and he simply cannot tolerate the mere existance of these unholy knights, although some may even be well intentioned. In his eyes, they are irredeemable monsters, the horrible acts that they commited even while they were stripped of their free will should not be forgotten and especially not forgiven. In particular, Karetos as a deep hatred towards his twin brother Harald, now a member of the Ebon Blade. Although he can control himself, to an extent, in the presence of any death knight, the mere mention of his brother being close may end up with Karetos being back to his crusading days and hunt him down to end his unlife for good. No death knight has ever given the paladin any reason to believe they could be redeemed yet. It is important to note that although his attitude towards them is very hostile, he is willing to try as he sees this hatred he holds towards them as a failure, constantly reminding him that he is far from becoming the embodiment of compassion. The Forsaken Karetos may hate death knights with a passion but his past relationships with members from the Argent Dawn has softened his hate towards the undead greatly in the case of the Forsaken. Indeed, he has realised throughout the years that even if they are now undead most of the Forsaken were the people of Lordaeron once and that many of them are still capable of compassion and good. He has his doubts concerning the Forsaken leadership, however, but firmly believes that if Lordaeron is to be reborn from it's ashes the living and the Forsaken need to work together hand in hand, whether they like it or not. The Holy Light Karetos' belief in the light has wavered throughout his life. Extremely strong in his early years, he found himself doubtful after the Northrend campaign, it is also around this time that the usually joyful and optimistic paladin became colder, more calculating. Through the years his belief as aswell as his strength in the holy light almost grew back to what it once was. However, he lost his naivety and unquestionable trust in the righteousness of the light in the frozen wastes of the north. The Embodiment of Compassion Even if the challenge of Alonsus Faol was directed towards the founders of the Silver Hand, Karetos decided he would take on the archbishop's words and strive to become the embodiment of compassion as his old mentor once did. Throughout his life, the paladin has always had moments where he would have been justified in being violent against enemies but chose to be merciful instead. He may fail sometimes but he always keeps in the back of his mind this goal he has, of being understanding and of striving for good. Many orcs, trolls, taurens and forsaken would be dead today if he had not taken a moment to touch his holy libram and remind himself of what he has to do, of what he is trying to become. Some could see this type of behaviour as weakness while others could see it as simply merciful. What others think of his actions matters little to the knight at this point, his only wish being to live up to The Dire's and the archbishop's expectations. To an extent, he considers this goal of becoming the embodiment of compassion his true goal as a member of the Silver Hand. =History= ---- Youth Born from a gilnean fisherman named Brandon Erickson and a kind former farmer from Southshore named Eleanor Redpath, Karetos grew up on the shores of Gilneas in Stormglen Village with his twin brother Harald. Their father chose the latter's name, a strong gilnean name, while their mother named Karetos, a name fit for a Lordaeron noble she always said. Constantly competing against one another, Harald was always the stronger brother and often won their races and few squables. Karetos on the other hand was always the smartest and the most compassionate of the two. When they grew older, they became a very good duo and brought a hefty number of fishes with each trip. Having learned to complete each other in their craft, one brother led the boat to key areas while the other's strong arms would catch the biggest of prizes! The two brothers had planned on becoming the best fishermen in all the village and often ventured as far as Menethil Harbor to trade with the dwarves of the Wetlands. They truly were a force to be reckoned with in their craft at the time, until the war that is. As they were but boys they heard stories of the orcish invasion but were far too young at the time, they even heard stories of the fall of Stormwind and as they grew older felt a bit ashamed that their own kingdom was not taking part in the effort. Then, as soon as Gilneas joined the newly formed alliance of Lordaeron in 10 L.C both brothers, then 17 years old enrolled in the Gilnean forces and fought during the second war. Harald being much wilder and eager for battle was more the soldier type, while Karetos tended to the wounded. However, he was as eager as his brother and arranged to be usually sent straight to the battlefields, to the front lines, becoming a field priest of sorts. Second War Throughout the second war, Karetos came to admire the newly formed Order of the Silver Hand and it's now legendary leaders. So much so that his biggest dream at the time was becoming a paladin himself. And so, he began training and sparring with his brother in between battles. Coming from a more humble and harsh background than most of his priest comrades, he quickly found himself more comfortable with the company of his brother's men and soldiers in general. The brothers fought in Alterac and their strong relationship with dwarves helped them quite a bit, especially when the time came to liberate Ironforge from the Horde. It is said Harald fought with a fury greater than that of a wolf that day. Then, the time came for the assault on Blackrock Mountain. While Harald and the troops were sent to the battlefield, many priests were to remain in Dun Morogh to take care of the wounded there. Karetos kept training by himself, his dream in sight as his brother left for battle. Soon after, near the end of the war, the news came. His twin brother Harald went missing. Shocked, Karetos knew what missing in action meant, his brother was most likely dead. And so he grieved his brother for the years to come, the gushing wound of his loss never truly closed. Now more focused than ever on his objective, he lessened the pain in the fray. It was then that he left his fellow priests and began fighting on the front lines, sword in hand. He had saved countless lives during the war, but now at the end of all things, in front of the dark portal, the time for vengeance had come. Order of the Silver Hand After the war, Karetos chose to remain with the alliance instead of returning to Gilneas with his fellow countrymen. Shorlty after, in 13 L.C, Gilneas left the alliance and began the construction of the Greymane Wall. Meanwhile, the Order of the Silver Hand began the training of new paladins to add to their ranks. Already being strong with the light and having received proper martial training aswell as possessing battlefield experience, Karetos ended up being a prime candidate for the order. And so, he left the north for Stormwind where the training of this new generation of crusaders mostly took place. During these peaceful years, Gavinrad the Dire wielder of the libram of Compassion took a liking to Karetos and took him under his wing, overseeing many parts of the young paladin's training. After he was officially welcomed into the order in 18 L.C, Karetos went back to the northern human kingdoms and instead of going back to his home in Gilneas decided to make a new life for himself in Lordaeron, he then lived there in the Bastion, in Stratholme with his fellow paladins, serving the kingdom. Third War As the events of the third war took place, Karetos witnessed the fall of the kingdom into undeath, disease and tragedy. When the scourge first arose, he served under Uther as one of his paladins and left with him, disgusted, after the prince ordered the purging of Stratholme. Long after, Arthas came back from the cursed land of Northrend, killed his father and laid further ruin to the kingdom. As the scourge rallied to their new leader, the knights of the Silver Hand were gathered in Andorhal under Uther, in 22 L.C. It was there that Karetos lost the sight in his left eye and became horrifically scarred, fighting for his life and the countless innocent citizens under his charge. As one by one the great knights fell, including his mentor Gavinrad, Karetos led a group of citizens out of the city as the undead legions came forth. As they were escaping, undead screeching behind them, a lone woman and her older father fell behind. Without a moment of hesitation, Karetos ordered the citizens to push forward without him and promised he would come back for them. He then rushed back and faced a flood of dead bodies, clawing and biting, determined to tear the young woman and the old man apart. It is there, near what is now known as Chillwind Camp, that he took his stand against the army of undead. He fought them for what seemed to be en eternity, protecting the young woman and her father until none remained but the three humans in a pool of the paladin's blood and a torrent of the undead's ashes. Escape from Lordaeron Heavily wounded after his stand at Chillwind Point, Lily Garner and her father Joseph carried the unconcious Karetos along the river and brought him back to Tarren Mill. The group of citizens that the paladin had been protecting fled there on his orders and were waiting for his possible return, although most doubted the knight would survive. When the Garners arrived in the town, the unconcious paladin with them, they tried to warn the folk of their imminent doom. A great number of citizens from Tarren Mill thought the situation to be far lighter than it actually was and decided they would wait for the kingdom's reinforcements and defend their homes themselves. The fleeing Andorhal citizens were far more eager to flee however. And so, with Lily as their current leader they escaped further south. During this time, it is said the young priestess allowed none to touch the unconcious paladin, aside from her father. As they were escaping from Chillwind, she did not have time nor the presence of mind to tend to the paladin's wounds. And so, she began the slow process of healing him back to health. Unfortunatly, the most serious wound the paladin had suffered could not be healed fully and the left side of the knight's face was now a massive scar. At first, the Garner's plan was to venture to Southshore and seek help there. When they arrived they warned the population has they had done before in Tarren Mill. Their warnings did not fall on deaf ears this time as a few, terrified, members of Andorhal's city guard were there aswell as some trainee paladins that survived the massacre. They stayed there only shortly however, as soon as Karetos regained some semblance of consciousness, he urged Lily to arrange for them to leave. He was too weak to take charge himself but he knew that they were hopelessly outmatched if they were to face the armies of the undead. Again, few were inclined to leave their homes but the paladin's half conscious concerns were enough for the Garners and a few survivors from Andorhal. And so, they left Southshore by boat with the Wetlands as their destination. Karetos' past relationship with the local dwarves worked heavily in their favor and they were able to stay in Dun Modr, a dwarven fortified city, until the knight was healed back to full health. During their time there, Lily's love for her savior only grew, unbeknownst to him, each day spent healing Karetos strenghtening her feelings for the knight. Then, after some time had passed, the Andorhal survivors left Dun Modr for Menethil Harbor most of them feeling a bit uneasy aswell as if they were untruders in the dwarves' home. With only Lily, Joseph and Karetos remaining as human visitors within the dwarven fortress, their stalwart allies grew more comfortable and friendly towards the Garners, the weight of having to feed and care for a great number of guests gone. Although shy and unfamiliar with dwarven kind, Lily and her father grew quite fond of these strong and brash folk. Finaly, when Karetos was back to his former health, he thanked his hosts in the only way known to dwarves: good mead, a feast and some good stories. They then drank to their heart's content trying to forget the horrors they had witnessed and telling their hosts the news of what happened up north, aswell as their desire to go back and help however they could. Indeed, although he was older, Joseph had voiced his desire to fight back against the undead and as for Lily, she wanted to follow her father aswell as keep him safe. The fact that Karetos was also dying to go back and fight also helped in her decision. Scarlet Crusade The paladin, the priestess and the old man then left Dun Modr and ventured back north, not fully prepared for what they would witness as they returned to the ruined kingdom of Lordaeron. Instead of going back from the way they came, by boat, they opted to head back by horse or in this case by ram. Going through Arathi, they then used their dwarven mounts to cut through the mountains, trying to avoid the bulk of the undead that they now knew ruled Andorhal. Their shorcut then led them to a ravine that then ended up near Darrowmere Lake. They then went along the lake to reach the upper parts of the territory still curring through small mountains and hills, relatively safe from the rampant undead. The few encounters they had with their enemies were quick, one or two ghouls being no match for both the knight of the silver hand the young priestess. However, when they reached the bridge that went over Thondroril River, they were ambushed by a larger force. Joseph, underestimating the lasting scars the fall of Andorhal had left him with began to panic and hid behind the two light users. Through their previous encounters with the small forces of undead they had defeated Karetos and Lily had become a great duo, dishing out alot more hurt than they were receiving. Although their time fighting together had been short, it was as if they had been fighting together for years, completing each other without a single word. They were good and many aberrations fell under their assaults, however, the undead's numbers did not seem to dwindle and as their confidence began to waver they heard battlecries coming from the other side of the bridge. A group of soldiers wearing heavy armor rushed to their aid slaying many as they tried to reach the three humans in the middle of this large enemy force. The odds back in their favor, the group of humans was able to emerge victorious. Relieved and exhausted, it would appear th eir saviors were now a bit suspicious of one member of the trio. They explained that the scourge sympathizers could be everywhere, their doubts with the paladin and the priestess having vanished as soon as they saw their proficiency with the light. On the other hand, they were very hostile towards Joseph. Karetos and Lily quickly explained the situation to their saviors and voiced the three's desire to fight back against the undead invasion. Acknowledging the strength of the paladin and the priestess, the unknown soldiers then escorted them to their current base of operations: Hearthglen. (Work In Progress) Argent Dawn (WIP) Light's Hope Chapel (WIP) Northrend (WIP) The Return of Gilneas (WIP) Back to Lordaeron (WIP) The Broken Shore (WIP) The Legion (WIP) The Desolate Council (WIP) Battle for Azeroth (WIP) Category:Characters Category:Human Category:Gilnean Category:Knights Category:Order of the Silver Hand Category:Paladins Category:Kingdom of Gilneas Category:Argent Dawn Category:Argent Crusade Category:Kingdom of Lordaeron Category:Scarlet Crusade